And if the FashionBefore satisfying a need, should a product first fulfill a function? In any case, this positioning is what has made the Avnier brand successful. Since its creation more than 10 years ago, the trademark It has now secured a prominent place in the technical wardrobes of creatives from all backgrounds. It was among the winners of the Role Model Awards of the French Federation of Women's Ready-to-Wear, revealed in December 2025, whose objective is to highlight brands that are reinventing fashion through a community lens.

Avnier, a streetwear brand at the crossroads of fashion and music

It all began in the early 2010s. Lausanne-based art director Sébastian Strappazzon was then at the helm of Alias ​​One, a brand he founded in the late 1990s. Its identity was deeply rooted in the street and skate culture of French-speaking Switzerland at that time, fueled by his BMX riding, graphic design, and a DIY aesthetic. From its inception, Alias ​​One has been associated with various closely linked cultural scenes: independent music, the skate scene, photography, and more. Strappazzon, a former plasterer originally from the Jura region, is himself a hip-hop fan and sees clothing as a medium of expression, just like a record or a visual artwork. A discreet yet respected name, Alias ​​One distinguishes itself through its graphic approach and its founder's commitment to sustainable manufacturing quality. Established French rappers and rap groups such as Sheryo, Casey, Kalash, Grems, and DABAAZ took an interest in his brand, and Sébastian Strappazzon began designing their outfits. He developed a special bond with one of them, Orelsan. The artist eventually wore almost exclusively the artistic director's clothing, who accompanied him to numerous concerts. In 2013, during the penultimate concert of the Casseurs Flowters tour (the duo formed by Orelsan and Gringe, active from 2000 to 2016), the two decided to take their collaboration a step further and co-found the label Avnier, a contraction of "avant-dernier" (previously last).

For a long time, the partners simply offered pieces they themselves would have liked to wear on stage or in their everyday lives, and the public seemed receptive. But the entrepreneurial adventure took a real turn during a collaboration with the sportswear brand Umbro, historically specializing in football. This is the jacket Orelsan wears in the music video Basique, released in September 2017 “,” recalls Myriam Aïlo, CEO of Avnier. From the moment the video was released, the product was a huge success. It sold out in just a few hours. Sébastian Strappazzon and Orelsan realize the potential of their brand, surround themselves with people and begin to structure both the commercial side and the management of the collections.

A brand rooted in the field, closely aligned with the needs of cinema, music, and creative industries.

In the music and rap industries, it's not uncommon to see artists go beyond merchandising and surround themselves with an artistic and commercial direction team to launch a full-fledged ready-to-wear brand (Que La Famille by the group PNL, Visionnaire by Bigflo & Oli, Disconnected by Booba, etc.). For a while, Avnier positioned itself this way, and the streetwear brand gained legitimacy and experience. Then, in 2020, after the pandemic, the label pivoted and decided to specialize in becoming the premium workwear brand for audiovisual professionals (" audiovisual workwear "). Rather than remaining mainstream, it is specifically targeting the film and music sectors, but also other areas of the cultural industries: Avnier clothing has a function closely linked to its design, but it appeals to anyone who wants to be creative. “,” says Myriam Aïlo to the microphone of French Touch. The founders, themselves accustomed to the field and inspired by the same worlds, do not wish to impose a classic work uniform, but to offer a line of clothing associated with specific situations.

« To design our products and ensure they are functional, efficient, and durable, we have prototypes tested directly by professionals in real-world conditions. We observe how creative professionals work, their habits, we interview them, and we gather use cases. " explains Myriam Aïlo. For example, we spent almost two years developing a jacket for cinematographers and directors, designing it with compartments for SD cards and walkie-talkies. We also included cable loops, hook-and-loop fasteners to display either the wearer's role or the film's title, a space for the accreditation badge, and we even designed the pockets to fit different camera lens sizes. Of course, we wanted the jacket to be windproof, waterproof, multi-layered, and to have reflective panels for use in bad weather or during night shoots. "For each collection, the team uses feedback from a sample of creatives, and works on the design of the products so that they meet needs, but above all so that they have a real use.

Avnier regularly dresses and equips several film shoots and audiovisual productions: the team for Ladj Ly's film Bâtiment 5 (2023) and Orelsan's Yoroï (2025), the production company Trente Zéro Sept during the filming of Damso's music video Chrome (2024)... It has also been a partner of the Nikon Film Festival for three years, of the Swiss Balélec festival for four years, and also creates capsule collections for certain projects such as the films Vermines (2023) and Evil Dead Burn (2026) by director Sébastien Vaniček. And all this without ever neglecting style: Avnier aims to dress people in a functional yet stylish way; our strength lies in successfully combining the two. The aesthetics of the garment remain important; you can be a director of photography and still be stylish. " the CEO reminds us.

What distribution model is suitable for a brand specializing in "audiovisual workwear"?

Avnier frequently collaborates with other well-known ready-to-wear brands, such as the Intervalles capsule collection with Saint-James unveiled in December 2025, and continues to focus on its equipment offering. According to the director, the label is pursuing its development despite the upheavals experienced by the fashion industry, which have forced it to revise its distribution model: The textile industry took a hit with the arrival of Shein, and the multi-brand stores that carried our products found themselves in difficulty. We then made the decision, at least for the time being, to focus on our online store and pop-up shops. Ultimately, this also allowed us to regain a certain freedom, to move away from the two annual collections. (fall/winter and spring/summer) imposed, to manage our own production and marketing schedule His ambition remains the same: to provide sound design for all audiovisual productions in France, Europe and the world, while remaining attentive to the needs on the ground.